FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Federal health officials say about 140,000 Floridians signed up for the new federal health insurance program last month. That's nearly eight times the roughly 18,000 others who signed up in October and November combined.

Of the 158,030 enrollments thus far, about 55 percent were women and 45 percent were men. Roughly 20 percent fell into the crucial 18 to 34-years-old demographic and about 60 percent were 45 to 64-years-old. And 83 percent of those who purchased plans qualified for a tax credit. The data was released Monday by the Health and Human Services Department.

Florida continues to lead enrollment efforts among the three dozen states relying on the federally run marketplace, one of the main tenants of the Affordable Care Act.

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